Blocking a Ball Overhead

Key Points

Adopt the ready position.
Extend the hurley above the head, sliding the non-dominant hand down the handle of the hurley to meet the dominant hand at the top of the handle.
Both thumbs should be facing towards the bas of the hurley
The toe of the hurley should be pointed away from the body
Keep eyes on ball at all times.
Block the ball with the flat of the bas.
Relax the grip to deaden the ball on impact, allowing the ball to fall at the feet or to be caught in the non-dominant hand.

Technical Drills

Drill 1 – Basic – The Overhead Block

This is a basic drill to practice the Overhead Block technique.
Mark out a distance approximately 5 meters wide using cones.
Divide the players into pairs, one ball per pair.
Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B to block overhead.
Player B allows the ball to fall to the ground and strikes it back to Player A.
Reverse the roles after a set number of throws.
As the players become more proficient, they must block the ball and catch it in the non-dominant hand.

Drill 2 – Basic - Block and Strike

This is a basic drill to practice the Overhead block Technique.
Mark out a distance of 10 meters and then 5meters using cones.
Divide the players into groups of 3, one ball per group.
One player stands at each cone.
Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B at the 5 metre marker.
Player B blocks the ball overhead allowing it to drop to the ground.
Player B then turns and strikes the ball on the ground to Player C.
Player C runs with the ball to take over as feeder from Player A
Player A then moves to the 5 metre marker and Player B runs to take over as receiver.
Vary the drill by getting the players to catch the ball in the non-dominant hand after blocking, before striking the ball on from the hand.

Drill 3 Intermediate - Move and Block

This is an intermediate drill to practice the Overhead Block technique.
Mark out a distance approximately 8 meters wide using cones.
Divide the players into groups of 4, one ball per group.
Two players line up at one end of the area, the other 2 line up 5m from the other end.
Player A throws the ball underarm.
Player B runs forward to block the ball overhead at the marker, catches it and hand passes it to Player C.
Player C then throws the ball for Player D to catch.
The thrower and receiver must follow the ball to take their place at the end of the opposite line each time.
Continue the drill for a set time.

Drill 4 Intermediate

This is an intermediate drill to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.
Divide the players into groups of 3.
Mark out a distance of 5m and 3m using cones.
Two players, A and C line up behind the first cone.
Player B lines up behind the far cone
Player A throws the ball for Player B to attack and bat at the 3m marker.
Player A follows the throw to take up Player B’s position and Player B continues to the back of the line as Player C moves forward to catch the bat.
Player C then throws the ball for Player A to bat, and so on in rotation to complete the drill.

Developing the Skill

Grid Game 1

This is a grid game to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.

Divide the players into groups of 5.

Mark out a grid 15m by 15m using cones.

Mark a further grid 2m x 2m in the middle of the larger grid.

Position one player at each corner of the larger grid with a further player positioned in the smaller grid.

The middle player throws the ball for each of the outer players to bat in turn.

A score is awarded for each bat caught by the middle player within the small grid.

The middle player rotates after every four throws.

Count the total number of catches after all of the players have completed the drill.

Fun Game

This is a court game to improve the players’ overhead batting.

Divide the players into pairs.

Mark a line between the players using cones.

Player A throws the ball overhead and bats to B, who bats the ball back to A.

The players continue batting as long as possible, counting the number of successful bats.

To make the game more competitive, mark a court on each side of the centre line.

Each player tries to ground the ball in the other’s court, as in volleyball.